


Leverage Consulting, LLC

by Alecto



Series: Fictober 2020 [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Leverage Fusion, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Crimes & Criminals, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Fictober 2020, Hacking, M/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:15:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27703997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alecto/pseuds/Alecto
Summary: The rich and powerful—they take what they want. Mutou Yuugi and his associates can steal it back for you.They provide... "leverage."
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Series: Fictober 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007610
Comments: 24
Kudos: 48





	1. The Acquaintance Job

**Author's Note:**

> Fictober 2020 Day 2 prompt: "that's the easy part" 

"You used to be an enforcer for the Kokuryu-kai," stated Jounouchi's companion out of the blue. 

Jounouchi stiffened, glancing around to make sure no one had overheard him. There was no one nearby to eavesdrop, and his companion had already swept the room for bugs. Which meant they should be safe. Yet it didn't necessarily make him any more receptive to entertaining this conversation with the man at his side. He wasn't here to make friends. This job was supposed to be a paycheck—an easy one as Yuugi had done everything in his power to ensure Jounouchi's particular skill set wouldn't be needed. But he also didn't want his companion to think he was ashamed or easily cowed.

"Yeah, I used to be. What about it? You hack some files and read up on me?" he sneered. 

No doubt, law enforcement had a sizable file on him to this day. One didn't spend almost a decade slumming it through the criminal underworld without acquiring one.

"That and I saw your back tattoo when we were changing earlier." 

With that admission, his companion finally tore his gaze from the smartphone that never seemed to leave his hands. Kids these days, Jounouchi wanted to think, but the other man was probably only a few years younger. In his mid-to-late twenties, if Jounouchi were to hazard a guess, but he couldn't verify because Yuugi hadn't helpfully supplied dossiers or whatever on their motley crew. Jounouchi may be the muscle, but he generally found it useful and sensible to know the people he was working with—or babysitting in this case. For the most part, Jounouchi hadn't needed files. He more or less knew everyone gathered at that warehouse—Yuugi, Mai, and Bakura —by varying degrees of acquaintance/reputation.

But his companion? "Seto" with no family name given, who'd strolled into that first meeting dressed in a sleek black outfit that looked like it belonged on the set of a bondage AV? No, Jounouchi had never heard of this so-called famed hacker. Then again, computers were hardly his area of expertise.

He craned his head to meet Seto's stormy blue gaze. To his annoyance, the hacker had a few centimeters on him, but the bastard was rail thin and would probably snap given a strong enough wind gust.

"Not that it's any of your business," he hissed. "But that tattoo doesn't stand for the Kokuryu-kai. Not anymore."

A spark of unnerving interest lit a fire in Seto's eyes. With his phone still in hand, he canted toward Jounouchi, causing his well-fitted suit to stretch and pull in admittedly all the right ways. He looked like he belonged here, mingling with the other wealthy businessmen and tycoons schmoozing around the event hall. In his off-the-rack suit, Jounouchi hoped he looked his part as a bodyguard. Now he made a mental note to change in another room afterward. 

"You had it modified after cutting ties," guessed Seto.

The back tattoo had been his pride and joy once upon a time. When Jounouchi first left and washed his hands of his yakuza ties, he'd considered having the tattoo removed. But it was a masterpiece and the only real piece of art he'd probably ever own—the culmination of sitting with an old-school irezumi master for hours and weeks on end. Not to mention, there wasn't much in the way of "proper" work for someone with his background. Instead, he had something added to it—a symbol celebrating the fact he answered to no master other than himself.

It was downright unnerving how well this stranger could read him. Had Yuugi been talking behind his back? No, it couldn't be. Yuugi knew better than that.

Focusing on their target, he ignored the hacker's uncanny interest in him. "Stay on your toes. We're almost up."

Across the room, Bakura, stunningly crossdressed as a woman, bumped into the mark, spilling a flute of champagne down the front of his shirt. Mai, clad in a caterer's uniform, popped up instantly with a cloth napkin that Bakura took to dab at the mark's shirt as he apologized profusely. Jounouchi couldn't tell when Bakura lifted the keycard, but he did catch the affirmative look passed between Bakura and Mai when Mai took back the napkin and faded into the background once more. He tracked Mai's movements as she returned to the catering station and hefted a tray of hor d'oeuvres before making the rounds. Eventually, she made her way to where he and Seto stood in an isolated corner of the room. 

"Can I tempt you with a treat?" the thief purred as she curled her ruby red lips. She pointed to a serving on the side of the tray closest to Seto. "I suggest this one."

Wordlessly, Seto reached out, pulling the napkin and its hor d'oeuvre off the tray before stealthily pocketing the keycard underneath. "Thank you," he said stiffly.

Mai turned and fluttered her eyelashes at Jounouchi. "How about you, hon?" 

An expensive watch peeked out from under her shirt cuff. What poor sucker had she pawed it off? "Mai, you better not blow this for us cuz you can't keep your sticky fingers to yourself," he growled.

She rolled her eyes and tossed her hair back. "Relax, I'll return it on my way back. Have to do something to keep my skills sharp and to keep from dying of boredom. You two should get moving. We're on the clock."

With that, she sauntered off again.

"Well, that's the easy part," grumbled Jounouchi. "We need to move." 

Placing a hand on the small of Seto's back, Jounouchi herded the other man toward the exit. The hacker's focus had returned to his phone once more, and he allowed Jounouchi to guide him entirely until they hit the hallway outside.

"The server room's upstairs," said Seto as he stepped out in front of Jounouchi.

The halls were deserted. Yuugi had timed security rounds and patrols down to the second. Seto had mapped out all the blind spots in the building's security and surveillance system. Trailing behind the taller man, Jounouchi felt every bit of the glorified babysitter he was. But he agreed with Yuugi's assessment even if Seto didn't. Somebody needed to watch the hacker's back instead of letting him go into dangerous territory by himself. 

The keycard that Bakura helped to lift would give them access to the upper floors, elevator included. But they couldn't use the elevators without triggering suspicion at this hour. Instead, they climbed 15 flights of stairs to reach the floor with the server room. Seto started to lag by the tenth flight, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

Jounouchi stopped at the next landing and looked down at the other man. "Need a second to catch your breath?" he teased.

Hands gripping the railing, Seto glared at him. His eyes remained electric blue even under the stairwell's poor lighting conditions. "I'm fine," he snarled. 

He waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever you say, but hauling your scrawny ass around isn't in the job description."

Straightening, Seto sucked in a sharp breath and stalked up the remaining stairs to push past Jounouchi. Jounouchi shrugged to himself and brought up the rear once more, keeping an eye on the hacker in case his skinny twig legs gave out on him. 

They were barely on schedule by the time they reached the server room. 

"Hurry up," he snarled and shoved the taller man through the door. 

After throwing a reproachful glance over his shoulder, the hacker vanished down an aisle of server racks. The room was chilly and hummed with the whirl of dozens of disk drives. The sound pulsed and pressed at the back of Jounouchi's head until he could feel it in his teeth. Wincing, he shook his head to clear it, quietly shut the door, and proceeded further into the room. 

He found Seto seated at the one computer station nestled in the back of the room. As Jounouchi settled next to the workstation, he was struck by the thought that this was probably Seto's natural habitat. The hacker's long fingers flew across the keyboard, while the blue light thrown by the computer screen washed out his already pale skin. His eyes, though, remained as hypnotic and as intense as they'd been since they first met.

He tilted to the side to peer around the column of server racks to keep watch on the door. The fact that there was only one way in and out of the server room made it more defensible and perilous. The close quarters would work to Jounouchi's advantage, though. As long as he closed the distance with any potential opponents first, he'd be able to disarm them even if they carried firearms.

"How long?" he asked, transferring his anxious weight from his right to his left side.

Kaiba cast him a sidelong glance. "It'll take as long as it takes. We're not only here to take data, but to leave something behind as well. I need time to spoof the access logs."

"Just don't take too long," growled Jounouchi without taking his eyes off the door.

In the corner of his vision, Seto shifted in his seat and reached inside his suit jacket. A flash of chrome, black metal was Jounouchi's only warning before the hacker placed a Glock 23 beside the mousepad. Jounouchi tensed before turning his furious expression on the relatively placid Seto.

"Put that away!" he shouted before catching himself. Spearing the man with another resentful glare, he snatched the firearm and checked if it was loaded. It was; a full magazine with thirteen rounds but no bullet loaded in the chamber. Deftly, he slipped the weapon into the back of his waistband, causing Seto's gaze to linger on his backside momentarily. "Actually, no, I'm gonna hold onto it, so you don't accidentally hurt yourself. Why do you even have that thing?"

Seto shrugged before facing the computer monitor again. "So, your file was right. You don't like firearms."

His temper flared. "Was this some kinda fucking test?"

"No, it's for my own protection. I have my fair share of enemies who want me dead. And don't belittle me. I'm perfectly proficient with it."

"Well, I'm here now. So you don't need it."

"If you insist." The corner of Seto's mouth tugged upward while radiating smugness.

They thankfully lapsed into silence, swapping conversation for the sounds of servers humming and Seto's lightning typing. Jounouchi did his best to ignore the sensation of the gun digging into the small of his back. The familiar yet repulsive feeling made his skin crawl. 

"Done," declared Seto as he pushed his chair away from the workstation and pocketed a small drive after detaching it from the USB port.

"About time." 

Without wasting time, Jounouchi grabbed the other man's elbow and hauled him to his feet. A series of high-pitched beeps rang through the room, followed by the click of the magnetic lock disengaging. Someone was coming in. Swearing up a storm inside his head, he dragged Seto to the rack of servers furthest from the door. That was when he saw it, the bit of space between two tall shelves. It'd be a tight squeeze, but they should both fit if they hugged the wall. He pushed Seto in first before invading the other man's space until their chests touched. In response, Seto tensed and opened his mouth to protest, but Jounouchi clamped one hand to his mouth while pinning the other man still against the wall to his back.

"Not a word," he mouthed quietly.

Irritation sparked in Seto's eyes, but he stopped fighting Jounouchi. 

Jounouchi had to strain his ears to hear above the servers' racket. The new arrival took several steps into the room before stopping right on the other side of the threshold, effectively blocking off their escape route. From the sound of it, there was only one person. Jounouchi should be able to take them with no problem. But Jounouchi and Seto should remain unseen in their hiding place as long as this person stayed on the other side of the room. If this person approached the computer workstation, however...

An electric shock raced up his spine, emanating from the spot where a large, warm palm grazed his spine. Wide-eyed, with adrenaline already pulsing in his ears, he tightened his grip across Seto's jaws as a warning. He could feel Seto's infuriating smirk against his skin as the other man wrapped his fingers around the pistol's grip and started to ease it out of Jounouchi's waistband. He glared, hoping his message of "don't you fucking dare" would get through.

A radio beeped. There was static before a warbled male voice spoke. "Hiroshi, we need you back downstairs. One of the guests is kicking up a fuss about losing a necklace. She says that someone must have stolen it. Miyamoto-san wants everyone to look for it just in case she misplaced it somewhere."

Another man groaned. "Copy. I'll be down in a second."

Both he and Seto held their breaths until the security guard was gone. The door shut and locked with another thunk. 

Wiping his furious glare back on the hacker, Jounouchi dropped his hand from Seto's mouth to his throat. "Hands off the gun now!" he growled.

Seto released the weapon and withdrew his hand from under Jounouchi's jacket. With a sardonic grin, the man raised both hands in the air, palms facing forward, as a show of supposed surrender. Jounouchi's grip tightened ever so slightly around his neck, causing Seto's breath to hitch.

After another moment, Jounouchi released the hacker and stepped back. "Next time you try a stunt like that, I'll make you an exception to my 'no guns' rule and shoot you myself. Do I make myself clear?"

Seto's piercing eyes bore into his being, drilling into his back even as he spun away and headed toward the exit. This job couldn't be over soon enough.

It was hard to hear over the servers, but he could have sworn Seto laughed and said, "I look forward to next time then, enforcer-san."


	2. Between Jobs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fictober 2020 Day 28 prompt: "do I have to do everything here?"

"This is taking too long," Seto snarled. Back and forth, he paced the length of Yuugi's office until he could wear a hole into the carpet.

Yuugi sighed and regarded him with a patient expression that made Seto want to tear out his ridiculous hair. "We talked about this, Seto-kun. We need to gather resources and evidence before we can declare an all-out war. You, of all people, know how powerful and dangerous the Big Five are and what happens to those who try to oppose them. If we're going to take them down, it needs to be a coordinated effort. We can't let one or more slip through the crack."

He glared at the former policeman. "What's the point of circumventing the law if we have to build a long-term case like them?"

"Because we're looking in all the places law enforcement that wouldn't even if they were willing to investigate the Big Five. By working these cases, we'll be able to uncover how deep their corruption runs. Eventually, we'll find a silver bullet to take them down—all of them." Yuugi's eyes blazed with determination.

"Tch, all we've done these past two months is take down a few conmen and incompetently greedy white-collar criminals." Seto clenched his hands into fists and fought the urge to hit something.

"We've also helped people, Seto-kun. People who had their backs pushed against the wall with nowhere else to turn to," Yuugi, ever the boy scout, reminded him. The older man rounded to the other side of his desk and approached Seto. Although he was shorter in stature than Seto, he cultivated an air of authority through his many years of working in law enforcement. "I brought you onto the team because outside of myself, you have the most to gain from taking down the Big Five. You also know better than anyone where to find potential weak points. So find us some clients that might help pave the way to our goal," he ordered firmly. 

Mutou Yuugi had not been Superintendent of the Organized Crime Control Bureau for nothing.

"Fine!" snapped Seto. When he stormed out of the office, he deliberately slammed the door behind him. Petty, but it assuaged his angry impatience by a fraction.

Taking long strides, he stomped down the hallway, past Bakura's, Mai's, and Jounouchi's "offices" into the kitchen area in the back. He approached the coffee pot and swore when he found it empty. He'd just brewed a pot less than an hour ago.

"Do I have to do everything here?" he asked angrily and received no response. 

Because the answer was yes. Ever since he joined Yuugi's crusade, it felt like everything fell to him, from coordinating the communication lines to researching their marks and clients, and even placing himself in the line of fire. Even setting up this office space had fallen to him. They were a group of thieves and assorted criminals masquerading as a consulting firm, and Seto had done everything he could to sell the illusion. Technically, they were the Japanese branch office of a firm incorporated in Hong Kong in the 1980s. Forging nearly forty years of tax records had admittedly been some of Seto's best work. Their cover may not be perfect, but it was as close to perfect as Seto could manage.

As his coffee brewed, Seto strategized his next move. He already had automated searches running 24/7 and sniffing through news articles and police reports for possible leads. There were a few parameters he could tweak to widen the net. That might lead to some "clients" that may satisfy Yuugi's criteria. 

With a fresh cup of coffee in hand, he made his way back to his office. He'd sat down in his chair for only a minute before a visitor sauntered through his door and flopped into one of the chairs across from him. 

"How unlike you to visit me," said Seto as he pulled up his search program to fiddle with its parameters. 

Jounouchi was quiet for several beats. Then he leaned forward, propped his arm up on the desk, and pressed a cheek to his fist. The posture, casual but still threatening, caused Seto's skin to prickle. His dark brown eyes lingered on Seto's face and bore into him with a guarded hostility. 

"Bored. We haven't had a job in two weeks," Jounouchi drawled. 

"I'm trying to find us one now," he said through gnashed teeth. Usually, he'd delight in the opportunity to get under the other man's skin, but his confrontation with Yuugi had left him in a sour mood and little patience.

"You'd better after the talking to Yuugi gave you."

Seto threw a dark glare at Jounouchi. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"No," Jounouchi replied readily. "But the walls around here ain't as thick as you think. Sometimes you can tell all you need to know just by the tone of people's voices."

Seto's search program was temporarily forgotten as he stared into Jounouchi's dark eyes. Unable to stop himself, his gaze drifted across the rest of Jounouchi's features. It really was a miracle that his handsome face had come out as unscathed as it did after his many years in the yakuza. Catching himself, he pushed aside the distracting thoughts and fixed his eyes back on his computer monitor.

"Yuugi and I had a simple disagreement. That's all," he said flatly. Despite his quarrels with Yuugi's methods, the man was currently Seto's best bet to achieve his desired goal.

Jounouchi heaved himself to his feet, and while Seto was mildly disappointed by the idea of the other man leaving, it was for the best. He had work to do. Instead, Jounouchi approached the door and shut it completely before coming over to Seto's side of the desk. Bracing the edge of the table, he leaned into Seto's space in a bald attempt at physical intimidation. Seto could see the tail end of Jounouchi's dragon tattoo peeking out from under his collar at this angle. The proximity sent a shiver down Seto's spine but probably not for the reasons that Jounouchi hoped. 

Jounouchi narrowed his eyes and growled, "Give it to me straight. Why're ya really here?"

Seto snapped his gaze back to Jounouchi's face and answered smoothly, "I'm here for the paycheck, of course."

"Nah. I don't believe you. Me and Mai are here for the paycheck, and she's definitely still freelancing on the side. Bakura's here because he's got history with Yuugi. But you? You're the only one that doesn't make sense." Jounouchi held his gaze without flinching as he calmly laid out his reasoning.

Seto scoffed. "Please, you're here out of some sense of loyalty to Yuugi. Was it because of something he did when he was still in OCCB?"

As expected, Jounouchi ignored his question and continued, "My point's that you sure ain't here out of the goodness of your heart. I may not know a lot about computers and junk, but I get the feelin' you do just fine on your own. If anything, you treat the rest of us like we're draggin' ya down." 

A smirk tugged at the corner of Seto's lips. He scooted his chair forward until their knees almost touched. "Why the sudden interest in my backstory?"

He angled himself, so his breath puffed across Jounouchi's throat. Once again, he was drawn to the dark ink of the dragon's tail wrapped around the nape of Jounouchi's neck. His fingers itched to touch the tattoo. He wanted to trace the black contours with his tongue. 

Jounouchi had intrigued him from the start, but Seto had assumed his curiosity would be sated once he'd learned all he could about him. Hack a few databases, and Seto should have been done. But the more time they'd spent around each other, the more drawn he felt drawn to him. There was so much more to Jounouchi than what was captured in police records. 

Jolting back, Jounouchi slapped a hand to his neck. "And why do ya keep doing that? It's like you're hitting on me or sumthin'."

Seto arched an eyebrow. "Who says I'm not?"

Jounouchi's jaw clenched. "I like women."

Seto laughed softly. "Yes, I've noticed, but I don't think you're as averse to men as you would probably prefer. Some people do like both." In one swift motion, he rose from his chair and boxed Jounouchi against the desk. "As for me? I'm entirely partial toward men."

"Including me?" asked Jounouchi in disbelief. He had yet to push Seto away even though he was more than strong and capable enough. Seto had seen him take down a handful of armed men in the span of several blinks, after all. "Why?"

He decided to test his luck and lower his mouth toward Jounouchi's. "Isn't it obvious? I find you intriguing like a contradiction."

Before their lips could touch, Seto found his arm wrenched behind his back and his face smashed against a wall. Jounouchi's grip was like iron, but he wasn't actively trying to hurt him. He simply kept Seto pinned in place. Seto forced himself to go limp in the hold rather than fight it.

"Yeah, I don't buy that. I dunno what game you're really playing at but I. Don't. Trust. You," growled Jounouchi in his ear. After a moment, the other man started to ease off slowly.

Seto cast a sly look over his shoulder. "Even after everything I've done these last two months? You wound me, enforcer-san. As Yuugi likes to say, we're all on the same team."

With one final glare, Jounouchi dropped his arm and moved to the door. "Trust's gotta be earned first." 

Then he was gone.

Chuckling to himself, Seto stretched and shook his arm to relieve the tingling ache in it before taking a seat in front of his computer again. There was little he appreciated more than a game of cat and mouse. It was part of the reason he'd been drawn to hacking in the first place. If he was stuck playing the long game at Yuugi's insistence, Jounouchi would more than suffice as the occasional diversion, and Seto would wear him down soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a larger meta plot re: the Big Five and Gozaburo as the main antagonists, but I haven't figured out the details. Also writing heists is hard. So this is all we get for now. I may or may not come back to this in the future.

**Author's Note:**

> Yuugi- The Mastermind  
> Ryou- The Grifter  
> Mai- The Thief  
> Jounouchi- The Hitter  
> Kaiba- The Hacker 


End file.
